Articles

Survey and Assessment of Ancient Cisterns in the West Bank

The paper gives an introduction about previous studies that have been made in the field of ancient cisterns, and then gives a detailed definition of a cistern, pointing out key issues for water management. The paper also discusses methods that have been used for the study, and the results about the findings on ancient cisterns, which include: location, age and appearance, conditions, size, ownership, and catchment area. In addition, the paper discusses cisterns’ storage capacity, harvesting potential, the cost of cistern water, the pros and cons of cistern usage, and their sustainability. The paper concludes with proposed criteria for restoration projects, and future research that can be done in this field.